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Literature about eye loss is rare. When the author, Cynthia De Boer, experienced prolonged blindness followed by the eventual removal of her eye as a teenager in the 70s, there were barely any resources to turn to.

After researching and trying every treatment he could think of, he arranged for me to attend something called "The Rounds..." A team of of doctors, all experts in their specialized fields would examine a patient, and then confer on likely solutions to the problem...Some doctors were very sympathetic while others seemed to be looking at me like their latest science project.

Losing an eye can be a scary experience, one that Cynthia knows too well. In this personal account, she recalls internal struggles and numerous questions that arose during this period. After being bullied for wearing thick glasses, she gained new insights into the true nature of friendship when she switched to contacts. Just when she was getting used to a normal life as a contact lens wearer, she received the devastating news that her eye had to be completely removed.

What I took away from this reading was the desire to achieve normalcy. An artificial eye can be fitted after the removal of an eye, but it doesn't move the same way. While working on this book, Cynthia shared her story with Dr. Lily Lin, who incorporated it into a course titled "Psychological Impact of Eye Loss" at the American Society of Ocularists 2015 Annual Meeting.

After years of living with eye loss, Cynthia is still very private about having a prosthetic eye. Even today, decades after her surgery, there is a limited number of books available to help people cope with the process. The decision for her to write this story was not easy, but it was necessary.

The book is an easy read for teens and adults. With the visually challenged audience in mind, the text is printed extra large. It is something that can be placed in an ocularist's waiting room and the patient would be able to finish in several sittings. Me, Myself and Eye is scheduled to be released on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and several other sources tomorrow, June 14.